pray

pray — verb

1. to turn your words or thoughts toward God or another holy being, alone or with o

1.verbtransitive / intransitiveA2
Definition

to turn your words or thoughts toward God or another holy being, alone or with others, to give thanks, show love, or seek guidance or support.

Example

Every night, Amina prays quietly beside her bed before sleeping.

pray quietly + place detail for private prayer

The whole village prayed for rain after months of dry weather.

pray for + noun naming what is wanted

Common collocations
  • pray alone
  • pray together
  • pray for help
  • pray for peace
  • pray to God
Synonyms
  • worship

    broader; can include singing, silence, or ritual, not only speaking

  • ask

    general and not specifically religious

  • say a prayer

    close in meaning, often for one particular act of praying

Grammar Patterns

pray

pray for + noun

pray to + deity

pray that + clause

Usage Note

Often followed by "for + noun" for what is wanted, or a "that-clause" for the result the speaker hopes for. The subject is usually a person or group in a religious setting, even when the prayer is private.

Common Mistakes

I prayed to my exam.
I prayed for a good result in the exam.
use 'pray for' for the thing you want, not 'pray to' the event.
We prayed God help us.
We prayed that God would help us.
a full 'that-clause' is the normal pattern here.

2. to feel such a strong wish for something that you keep hoping it will happen or

2.verbintransitiveB2
Definition

to feel such a strong wish for something that you keep hoping it will happen or be true.

Example

Maya prayed that the final train had not left yet.

pray that + clause showing urgent hope

All morning, we prayed for good news from the hospital.

pray for + noun in a tense situation

Common collocations
  • pray that
  • pray for good news
  • pray for a safe return
  • be praying for
Synonyms
  • hope

    the usual everyday word; less intense and less dramatic

  • wish

    often used for imagined or less likely situations

  • long

    stronger and more emotional, often for something absent

Grammar Patterns

pray that + clause

pray for + noun

be praying for + noun

Usage Note

Usually followed by a "that-clause" or "for + noun", and often used in anxious situations such as illness, travel, or results. Distinguish from sense 1: the focus here is the strength of hope, not the act of speaking to God.

Common Mistakes

I prayed to pass the exam.
I prayed that I would pass the exam.
this sense normally uses a clause or 'for + noun', not a bare to-infinitive.
I'm praying my brother every day.
I'm praying for my brother every day.
use 'for' before the person or thing you are worried about.

pray — adverb

Word family

  • prayer
    nounA2
  • prayerful
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

For verb sense 1, pray is more specific than ask because it is directed to God or another holy being. Worship is broader: people can worship through music, silence, or ritual, even when they say nothing. Beg is stronger and usually directed to a person when someone feels desperate, so it does not normally suggest religion. Hope overlaps with pray only partly: you can hope for rain, but pray often adds a religious act or attitude. A good memory line is this: you ask a doctor for news, beg a driver to wait, hope the storm will pass, but pray to God for strength.

worship ↗ask ↗beg ↗hope ↗

Common collocations

Phrases

  • pray for
  • pray that

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

"Pray" came into English through Old French from Latin "precari", a verb meaning "ask earnestly" or "make a request". That older idea of asking helps explain why the word can mean both speaking to God and, more generally, hoping very strongly that something will happen. English later kept a few formal expressions such as "pray continue", which preserve the older polite-request use.